The X-Men: The Future Generation [Part 10]

1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, located in the very northeast corner of Westchester County. This is the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, formerly Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters.

Enter the mansion, and you'll find yourself in the foyer, or front hall [ok, so I'm making it up. Sue me]. Past the classrooms, into an elevator at the end of the corridor. Step inside, and you'll find yourself heading down.

To the Sub-Basements.

The Sub-Basements consists of several important rooms, amongst them the Danger Room, the War Room, and the labs where Dr. Jean Grey and Dr. Henry McCoy [in the comics only, I'm afraid].

But the most important of them all was the Cerebro Chamber. And it is now in this chamber that our two main leads are conversing quietly in whispers.

'He said they killed them,' Alix Summers was saying. Next to her, Chris Perry sighed softly. 'Alix, you couldn't save them. You had no way of knowing.'

'But I had!' she shot back angrily. 'I'm the empath. I should have kept track of everyone. I can't afford to lose anyone. I can't afford to lose my family.' Her voice softened. 'And I really can't afford to lose control again.'

Chris laid a hand on her shoulder and focused on his empathic abilities. Within seconds Alix calmed down. She shook her head. 'But it doesn't make any sense. What does the Brotherhood have to do with Optical and David slash Lucas? What does it have to with Gambit or Alison?'

'You're forgetting one thing,' Chris added gently. 'What does it have to do with you? Why is it affecting you? It's affecting both of us. And I don't think we have a choice. We have to know what's going on.'

Alix forced a dry smile. 'How? Besides, I doubt that anyone would've heard of Optical. Like you said, it's affecting both of us...' she trailed away as she looked at him. 'Both of us....Chris? Is there something you're not telling me?'

Chris mentally kicked himself. 'I've been having weird dreams lately,' he confessed. 'Most of them are about kids, but they focus more on this particular kid. Red hair, blue-grey eyes, tall, about 18 years of age.' He gave a soft smile. 'Reminds me of me, actually.'

Alix started to answer him, but an alarm sounded throughout the building. Exchanging looks, both rushed up the elevator and immediately jabbed the button for the top floor. When the doors opened, the whole place was in chaos. Alix grabbed hold of a student running past her. It was Tia.

'Alix,' Tia screamed. 'Something's happening. It's like Colonel Strucker all over again, according to Rogue and Dr. Grey, but worst. They want everyone to go to the safehouse.'

All of a sudden, a huge vortex appeared out of nowhere, and a boy climbed out of it. He was tall, around 18 years of age, with red hair, and blue-grey eyes. Alix blinked as she realized she'd just described him the same way Chris did. She sensed mild confusion from Chris, but she closed her mind to it as she focused on the young stranger. The moment their minds connected, she felt a strange instinct. It was very mature, and it appeared to be maternal. But it wasn't possible that he was her son. Was it?

The stranger looked at her, and Alix realized that they were both simultaneously checking out each other against a mental picture, and again she felt another wave of maternal love from him. Judging by Chris' feelings through the psi-link, Alix knew he felt the same thing.

Abruptly, the emotions stopped flowing through the psi-link. The young boy had cut off the connection, which was making Alix quite curious. It took more force than a 18 year old could have to shield his mind against her, what more cut off her link. Not even her mother Jean could cut off her link like that. He was quite the young mutant.

Then the stranger spoke. 'My name is Drew Perry. I'm from the future. And I'm here to help.'

P.P.S. I know it's very much like the Charmed episode Chris-Crossed, but what can I say? I really like Drew Fuller, who is, incidentally, Drew Perry's namesake. Astonishing how a father and son can be named after the same actor/character. If u dun understand, Drew Fuller played Chris Perry Halliwell on Charmed.